NOTICE! Since I'm no longer an active editor here (although that might change), I've decided to move my origins essay from this page to a freewebs site. The old version can be found here:

http://bonesiiitruthseeker.webs.com/originsessayold.htm

Hopefully soon I'll be able to also write a better one. I plan to also post many blog entries on the subject of origins and truthseeking in general at that site, plus there's a survey for atheists (I may add other surveys eventually). Probably nobody will see these but oh well.

I am known online as bonesiii (sorry, my real name is classified information). My interests on Wikipedia include Bionicle articles, and other entertainment such as LOST, and scientific/religious/worldview articles, especially on the creation/evolution debate (yes, believe it or not, there is a debate! :-P). Historical articles interest me as well, and to a degree, literature articles. I pride myself in my well-worded writings; however, I do not believe in the accepted spelling of 'definately', as it is not supported by historical evidence.

About Me

Bionicle

I was previously a staff member of BZPower.com, the largest Bionicle fansite on the Internet. I was previously a moderator of the Storyline and Theories Forum Division, General Artwork and Kits & Shops, and LEGO Discussion, a former news reporter, and a Reference Master. My BZP blog can be found here: The Bones Blog, and my freewebs blog (often discussing issues we don't allow at BZP) is here: bonesiiitruthseeker blog. I've been a fan of Bionicle since its beginnings in 2001. Since Bionicle's end in 2010 BZPower has widened its focus to LEGO-in-general, including Bionicle's successor, Hero Factory.

Point of Interest: Bionicle's storyline's genre is labelled by Greg Farshtey as "science fantasy", and I consider it to be one of the best examples of this genre in existence, at least to my tastes, along with more well known examples like Star Wars or LOST, and as an aspiring writer, it is the genre I prefer most to write within. This "genre", however, is not that well known, and much of what qualifies as "scifant" is labelled as "science fiction" or "fantasy", when it's really a mix of the two. The popular consensus on how to define this relatively new term, as well as the other two terms it's based on, is pretty much up in the air right now.

Logic is the Key

I am a logician who is interested in finding the truth and understanding reality in all its fullness (which means I'm always learning! :-D). I believe strongly in avoiding speaking from bias; that is, being open about possible bias that the speaker (whether myself or others) may not realize we have, and trying to present our opinions clearly as opinion rather than fact. I do not hold any belief or viewpoint without clear logical support, and I am honor-bound to admit any mistakes I have made or if I am proven wrong in logical debate. To a degree, I enjoy debate, at least when the participants are willing to try to be fair and respectful of each other.

Point of Interest: It's astounding how often people who are "well educated" in facts and figures are incredibly inadequately schooled in logic and reasoning towards the truth. Too often I find myself echoing the lament of the Professor in the Chronicles of Narnia--"Why don't they teach logic in these schools?"

Realism, and Benefit of the Doubt

I do my best to give people the benefit of the doubt. The glass is not either half full or half empty--it is either both, or it is actually two-thirds full and one-third empty, or vice versa, etc. When in doubt, get out a measuring stick. ;-| I don't accept optimism, pessimism, naivete, or cynicism. I believe above all in being realistic. I never assume that people harbor ill will when there is still reason to think they do not. When moderating, I try to give people as much benefit of the doubt as makes sense, and having once been a "newb" I know full well how confusing and emotional that experience can be.

Point of Interest: I consider cynicism to be simply a type of naivete. Cynics are by nature eager to believe bad news, which makes them ready targets for those trying to paint negative pictures that serve their own selfish purposes. Cynics also often fall prey to what I call the "Inverse Accusation Syndrome"; assuming that whatever the cynic him/herself is guilty of, others must be too. This weakness of cynics can be quite revealing at times. On the other hand, I find naivete both amusing... and sad. I don't like to see nice happy bubbles get popped. Unfortunately, sometimes they need to be.

Debating Worldviews

I love debate, but debating worldviews such as religious/secular views is often problematic, because both sides often have no intention of budging from their belief no matter what the other side says. When it comes to my worldviews, such as my Christian belief, or literal creationism, I have spent years researching every detail I could find and considering both sides logically before coming to my conclusions--and I am "firmly" convinced that my view is the correct understanding of reality (not every detail of reality of course; but the relevant details to those beliefs), though as a logician I am of course open to the possibility that I am wrong whenever I debate. Yet too often "debates" online or in real life on these issues seem to demand quick one-liners in answer to points, usually worded defensively or combatively. That's just not the way to get to the bottom of these matters. So I prefer to avoid debates like this unless the person who is asking me about my view clearly is willing to be open minded, as I am, and have a discussion geared towards finding the truth, not just defending whatever they happen to currently believe, or whatever they were taught. This is usually not possible in person, as these subjects require huge amounts of depth of information and study that cannot be provided simply by speaking, and it's very difficult when facing a "defensive debater", which is why I avoid those types of debate.

Point of Interest: This sometimes applies even in trivial debates, from my experience; I used to participate actively in Bionicle debates on BZP, in terms of what is best for LEGO company to do, since I am interested in it doing the best it can, and when I was a moderator, trying to keep the debates civil (and might I add that my tactics have seemed to accomplish that quite well! :-)). I occasionally run into the same kind of "dogmatism" even on issues that trivial to our existence. One the one hand, I wish that people would save this energy for the issues that really matter in our lives. On the other, at BZP we ban religious and political discussion for good reason, specifically because it can get so out of hand, and to many young children, their entertainment is important to their emotional state.

Origins Essay

This essay has been moved here. I'm hoping to write a better one here soonish, but I have a lot else to say on origins on that site's blog, here.